Do you love all things to do with writing and writing equipment?  Do you collect, use or want to research: pens of all types, pencils, paper, journals & notebooks, nibs, inks, inkwells, stamps, stamp boxes, postcards, quill cutters, scriveners’ knives, wax seals, writing slopes, blotters, letter scales, paper knives, rulers and so much more?!  Maybe you even want to fix some old writing instruments to bring them back to working order either to use yourself or pass on for others to use?

Whatever your passion, The Writing Equipment Society is for you. Established in 1980, we are dedicated to the preservation, conservation and education (including the transfer of practical skills via our Pen Repair Courses), relating to both heritage and contemporary writing instruments, accessories and associated ephemera.

It is also important for us to facilitate opportunities for Society members to interact and share related experiences. 

One way to do this is via our world-renowned full colour WES Journal, published three times a year, and available both digitally and in print.

Articles are contributed by our own members and invited guests and cover a broad range of interesting and varied topics.  WES members have free access to all back issues of The Journal, along with the ability to search our extensive archive of digital and physical items. In addition, we have a WES Member only Community Forum where members can introduce themselves and ask questions and exchange information.

Over 500 writing equipment enthusiasts from no fewer than 18 countries around the world currently enjoy the wide range of benefits on offer.

By joining, your Membership will help us to keep the Society running for future generations.

The Society is a not-for-profit organisation, run by volunteer Council Members.

The history of the Journal dates back to the late 1970’s when a series of four newsletters were produced by the late Philip Poole. Philip’s shop became a popular spot for writing equipment devotees and Philip’s aim was to put these enthusiasts in touch with one another, as he outlined in his ‘Newsletter No.3’.  He included a circulation list of those he knew were interested to enable them to make contact.

The first two newsletters were actually handwritten, with the following two being typewritten as were many of the early journals.

The first journal that would be recognised as such now, was published in 1981 and consisted of 22 A4 pages of typewritten text with black and white illustrations, stapled together along the spine.

Journals began to have some colour images including the front cover from around journal 27, (1990), but were still typewritten and the number of pages in each edition varied between 30 – 50.

The first professionally printed journal came along in 1997, this still had a number of black and white illustrations, but more colour was gradually being introduced.  As colour reproduction was quite expensive, this limited its use.

Here we are today, however, with a ‘perfect bound’, 60 page or more, full-colour, professionally laid out and printed journal, using satin coated paper.  These are available both in print for our standard membership option and as a PDF for our digital members.

Members or invited guests are encouraged to contribute articles to the journal and it is this that makes the journal content so varied and interesting.

Read a sample article: